(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a liquid dispensing assembly that comprises a hand held and hand operated trigger sprayer dispenser and a separate bottle container that communicate with each other through a length of conduit. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a trigger sprayer that is removably attached to a bottle containing a liquid to be dispensed by the trigger sprayer where a length of conduit communicates the trigger sprayer with the bottle contents and the trigger sprayer is removably attached to the bottle by a child proof connection.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Hand held and hand operated trigger sprayers that are employed in dispensing large quantities of a liquid, for example in dispensing a garden fertilizer or an insecticide are typically used with a large bottle container that contains a large quantity of the dispensed liquid, for example a gallon of the liquid. The bottle container communicates with the trigger sprayer through an elongate length of conduit or tubing. The length of the conduit enables the user to freely manipulate the trigger sprayer in one hand in dispensing the liquid from the bottle while holding the bottle in the other hand. Examples of these types of trigger sprayer and bottle container assemblies are disclosed in the Foster U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,373,973; 5,485,942 and 5,553,750, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In the trigger sprayer and bottle container assemblies described above, at least a portion of the length of conduit communicating the trigger sprayer with the bottle interior is typically stored inside the bottle when the sprayer and bottle are not in use. In one embodiment the length of the conduit extending from the trigger sprayer is fed through a sealed opening in the cap of the bottle so that a majority of the length of the conduit is stored inside the bottle when the trigger sprayer is not being used. The trigger sprayer has a handle with a connector, for example a screw threaded connector or a bayonet-type connector, that attaches the trigger sprayer handle to the bottle opening or bottle neck when the trigger sprayer is not being used.
In another embodiment a cylindrical conduit container or adapter is inserted into the bottle opening and is connected to the bottle neck. The length of the conduit is inserted into the interior of the adapter and the trigger sprayer handle is attached to the top of the adapter when not in use.
Although the embodiments of the remotely operated trigger sprayer and bottle container described above provide an orderly way of storing the trigger sprayer, bottle container and interconnecting length of conduit when not in use, the task of threading the length of conduit back into the container interior or positioning the length of conduit into the adapter interior can be tedious to some individuals.
In addition, although child resistant locks and closures have been employed on trigger sprayers, in liquid dispensing assemblies comprising a remotely operated trigger sprayer and a bottle container connected by a length of conduit, it would be desirable to have a child resistant lock that attaches the trigger sprayer to the bottle container.
The liquid dispensing assembly of the invention overcomes the disadvantages associated with prior art dispensing assemblies by providing a child proof connection between the remotely operated trigger sprayer and the bottle container. The liquid dispensing assembly of the invention also provides an alternative to storing the length of conduit in the bottle container or in an adapter in the container, where the length of conduit can be easily stored outside the bottle container and outside the trigger sprayer handle.
The liquid dispensing assembly of the invention is similar to assemblies of the prior art in that it is basically comprised of a bottle container, a hand held and hand operated trigger sprayer, a connector that attaches the trigger sprayer to the container, and a length of conduit communicating the interior of the bottle container with the trigger sprayer. As is done in the prior art, each of the component parts of the assembly is constructed from a plastic material.
The bottle container in the preferred embodiment has a capacity of at least one gallon of liquid to be dispensed by the dispensing assembly. The container is designed with a carrying handle at the top of the container. A pair of notches are formed in one side of the handle and are dimensioned to receive the nozzle and trigger of the trigger sprayer. A container opening adjacent the handle provides access to the container interior volume. A neck surrounds the container opening.
The connector has a cylindrical cup configuration and is attached to the container neck. The cup shaped portion of the connector extends downwardly through the container neck opening and into the interior volume of the container. The connector cup has a hollow interior volume that is dimensioned to receive a portion of the length of the conduit. A dip tube extends through the bottom of the connector cup into the container interior to a distal end of the dip tube positioned adjacent the bottom of the container. A pair of cavities are provided in the top surface of the connector on diametrically opposite sides of the connector cup. Vent holes extend through the connector from the bottom surfaces of the cavities. A resilient locking tab projects upwardly from one side of the connector to a distal end of the tab positioned above the connector cup.
A lock ring is mounted on the connector and around the container opening for rotational movement of the lock ring relative to the connector and relative to the container. The lock ring has a pair of radially outwardly projecting flanges on opposite sides of the lock ring. A projection on the exterior surface of the lock ring engages with the connector locking tab in a first, locked position of the lock ring on the connector, preventing the lock ring from being moved from the first position. Manually bending the locking tab distal end away from the lock ring releases the projection from the locking tab and enables the lock ring to be rotated from its first position relative to the connector to a second, opened position of the lock ring relative to the connector.
The trigger sprayer has a hollow handle with a cylindrical side wall. An opening at a bottom end of the side wall provides access to an interior volume of the handle. A pair of legs project downwardly from the handle on opposite sides of the handle opening. The pair of legs are positioned to engage in the pair of connector cavities when the handle is attached to the connector. The handle interior surface has a pair of radially inwardly extending ridges on opposite sides of the handle interior volume. The handle ridges are positioned to engage with the lock ring flanges when the lock ring is in its first position to lock the handle to the connector.
A slot is provided in the handle side wall extending upwardly from the bottom opening of the handle. The slot is dimensioned to receive a portion of the length of the conduit extending through the side wall slot, enabling the conduit to be positioned outside the handle interior volume when the handle is locked to the connector.
In use of the liquid dispensing assembly of the invention, with the trigger sprayer attached to the connector and the connector attached to the opening of the liquid container, the locking tab distal end is first manually deflected away from the lock ring to enable rotation of the lock ring relative to the connector. The lock ring is then rotated from its first, locked position on the connector to its second, opened position, thereby disengaging the lock ring flanges from the trigger sprayer handle ridges. This enables the trigger sprayer to be pulled upwardly away from the connector and the liquid container for remote operation of the trigger sprayer. Removing the trigger sprayer from the connector pulls a portion of the length of conduit out of the trigger sprayer handle interior and out of the connector interior. Removing the trigger sprayer from the connector also removes the handle legs from the connector cavities, opening the vent holes of the connector and enabling air from the exterior environment of the liquid dispensing assembly to enter into the interior volume of the container.
After operation of the trigger sprayer the length of conduit removed from the handle and connector interior volumes is then positioned back into the interior volumes. Alternatively, the length of conduit removed from the handle and connector interior volumes is positioned through the slot in the handle side wall. The trigger sprayer handle is then assembled to the connector with the pair of handle legs extending into the pair of cavities in the connector. The trigger sprayer nozzle cap and trigger also engage in the pair of notches in the bottle container. The lock ring is then moved from its second position back to its first position where the pair of flanges of the lock ring engage with the pair of ridges on the trigger sprayer handle locking the handle to the connector. As the lock ring is moved to its first position the distal end of the locking tab engages over the projection on the exterior surface of the lock ring re-establishing the child proof connection between the connector and the lock ring that prevents the lock ring from being rotated.
The liquid dispensing assembly of the invention provides the advantages of two alternative ways of storing the length of conduit communicating the container interior with the trigger sprayer. The conduit can be stored either inside the connector interior volume and handle interior volume, or with the conduit stored extending through the slot in the trigger sprayer handle side wall to the exterior of the connector and the handle. In addition, the liquid dispensing assembly of the invention also provides the advantage of a child proof connection between the connector and the trigger sprayer handle.